Abyss of a soul
by Dictionary
Summary: Sequel of A new darkness- no summary! Please, please review more!
1. Default Chapter

Here I am again, hope you all enjoy it!!!!  
  
**  
  
It was in the middle of the night, when a lonely Ranger heard a strange noise behind him. He turned around but there was nothing but trees and bushes on the sides of the path. Shaking his head, he walked further when the strange noise appeared again. This time he ignored it and walked on as if he wouldn't hear it. When he went around a corner he jumped.  
  
A man in a black coat stood in front of him, his light blue eyes looking right through him as if he was invisible. "What are you doing here in the middle of the night stranger? No one goes this path except of me," said the Ranger and tried to speak as calm as possible but his voice shook a little bit.  
  
The stranger smiled evil and answered: "I know, I know. That's the only reason why I am here. To kill you while everyone else is sleeping in peace and no one will hear your screams out here."  
  
The Ranger needed a few seconds to realise what the man had said but than he pulled out his sword and held it at the man's throat.  
  
"No one is going to kill me! I don't know you? How do you dare to speak like that to me," asked the younger man and pricked the blade deeper into the flesh of the stranger who just laughed softly and gave him a sad look.  
  
"You're not gonna defeat me with this... knife. You don't have to know me, I know you, that's all what counts for me. But please- don't take things personally, it's nothing to do with you, it's just that your nightly roams are pretty perfect to kill you, to rehearse my powers on your body. I choose my victims by chance. I prefer people who won't be missed by someone or who walk around in the night- like you- and won't be heard or seen by anyone. So help yourself and don't defence yourself against me!!"  
  
Right when the Ranger wanted to slam the sword into the body of the stranger, his sword was pulled out of his hands as if someone had taken it and fell to the ground a few meters away. "what the hell...," whispered the poor ranger in horror and tried to run away but after a few meters he couldn't move anymore. His legs seemed to be frozen, numbness was filling them slowly as if poison was taking over his body but still he didn't fell to the ground.  
  
The stranger walked in front of him and touched his cheek with one hand but even this the Ranger couldn't feel.  
  
"Let's see if my powers have improved a bit, what would be better for you. If not, you'll suffer a bit," said the man and shook his hands.  
  
Yellow light was suddenly glowing in his hands, like gold in the sunshine. He lifted one hand to his mouth and blew a bit. The yellow light flew through the air and flooded his body.  
  
The ranger wanted to scream in agony when his skin suddenly started to burn and peel off but not sound escaped from his lips.  
  
While every part of the ranger's skin was peeling, the stranger smirked. "My powers are improving greatly," he said and covered his nose because the awful smell of burned flesh filled the air now and stole him air to breathe.  
  
He turned away but before he left the place he wrote a circle in the air with one hand and the dead body of the poor ranger fell to the ground...  
  
**  
  
Four years had passed since Melkor had managed to out of his prison. Alia still had the powers Melkor had given to her and they seemed to be very useful in some situations. Her relationship to Aragorn had gotten better and better.  
  
The day a message from Faramir of Ithilien arrived in Minas Tirith, the royal family was in the village.  
  
Alia, Lithiel and Celebrian spent their time with shopping and driving their father into madness because he had to carry the bags.  
  
Arwen, who was six month pregnant with her eighth child walked around with Eldarion, looking for a new horse for him on the market. His horse Aiglos had died in the winter because of pneumonia and Aragorn and Arwen had promised to buy him a new horse in the spring.  
  
When both of them were standing in front of a beautiful, strong stallion, Aragorn approached, his daughters behind him.  
  
"I think, Alia really should marry someone so her husband can pay for her clothes! She will ruin me! And the bad thing is that my sweet little Lithiel has started to act exactly like her big sister!! Arwen please- let me look for horse and you go shopping with the girls, it's too much for me!" The king placed the bags on the ground and leaned back against something behind him, what suddenly went a step aside and Aragorn fell to the ground with a moan. He looked around and realised that he had leaned back against a horse and that his whole family was laughing.  
  
Alia helped him to stand up and wiped some mud off his jacket. "Maybe you should better go home. It seems like you haven't got a good hand for horses either," laughed the young woman and grabbed her bags before Aragorn would fall over them.  
  
Arwen kissed his cheek and stroked his back, that said to her children: "Think it would be better if all of us get back home. It's already time for lunch!" The girls sighed but followed them through the streets of Minas Tirith to their palace. Eldarion grabbed Alia's arm in front of the door and held her back. "Have you seen the black stallion? He looks alike Nelladell, maybe they have the same mother or father! I'm gonna ask ada if he buys the stallion for me!"  
  
Alia smiled at her older brother. "Well if you like the horse he will surely buy it for you. Like he promised ! Wait- someone is coming up the street! He looks like a messenger from Ithilien," she shouted her last words because she ran into the direction of the man.  
  
"I have a message for the king from the Faramir of Ithilien," said the man and gave Alia a piece of paper. The girl thanked him and promised to bring it to her father. The messenger nodded and rode away.  
  
Eldarion walked over to his sister who had already unfolded the letter and was about to read it. "It's for ada, my dear, not for you," said the young man and shook his head but stopped when he saw the concerned look on her beautiful face.  
  
"Faramir has written that several dead bodies were found in Ithilien. The skin was peeled off! He wants ada's help to find the murderer. Let's get inside and tell him, I want to arrive at Ithilien today!!" The young woman stormed into the palace as if a lot of dogs were behind her, followed by her brother.  
  
"Alia, you're not old enough for a journey like that! The murderer is brutal like you read and I don't want you to get involved in danger things again, you're just nineteen," screamed Eldarion but Alia ignored him. 


	2. Chapter 2

Cerridwen thank you so much, glad you enjoy it! Took some time to review but here we go!!!  
  
Sorry, I know it is short and some kinda lame but they somehow had to get to Ithilien! Next chapter will come soon, I have holidays for two weeks from tomorrow!!!  
  
**  
  
Alia knocked at the door to his father's office and entered without waiting for him to call her inside. He looked up from a map he was holding and smiled at her. "You look as exited as Eldarion when he sees a horse. Why are your cheeks glowing like that? Is there something I should know," he asked and lay the map aside.  
  
"Well, Faramir send a note saying that a brutal murderer has killed rangers three rangers in Ithilien with peeling their skin off. Sorry that I've read his letter but I just couldn't stand to be as uninformed as usual. It would be the best if we ride to Ithilien in about an hour so we get there in the evening!!"  
  
Aragorn lifted up an eyebrow and took the letter Alia was handling him. "What do you mean with 'we'," he asked and lay the letter aside as well. His daughter crossed her arms in front of her chest and sighed. "Well, your gonna take me with out if you want it or not! I'm not gonna stay here again, I'm old enough to come with you. And when I'm right, you'll need my powers because I think that a wizard has killed the rangers," she said and sat down in front of her father's table.  
  
"A wizard? There aren't many wizards in middle earth and if I remember rightly they are all good and wouldn't hurt rangers. But to prevent an attack by you- you can come with us but only if you promise something..." Alia nodded exited.  
  
"Your not gonna have the same nerve killing arguments with Théodred like when you both were little kids!!! He's Faramir's son and I agree that he can sometimes be a little bit strange and... some kind of childish but do this favour for me! We don't need another dead man as well!" The young woman thought for a moment, than agreed more or less happy. She than left the office to pack some things and tell Eldarion that she was allowed to come with the men.  
  
Her brother was ins his room, packing some things as well into a bag. "Guess what, I'm allowed to come with you! We'll star our journey in an hour so get ready brother," she said and closed the door to his room behind her.  
  
Eldarion came out of his room and followed his sister into her room. "Father allowed you to ride with us? But it will be dangerous, I don't want you to get involved in danger things again. I lost you one time, that's enough for the next 100 years," the young man sighed and sat down on her bed.  
  
Alia rolled her eyes and threw a skirt at him. "I am a big girl, don't treat me like a child. This accident years ago was... well an accident, something like that is not going to be happen again!! Please remember my powers, they can protect me!! And now, get off my bed and let me pack some clothes, there isn't much time left."  
  
Throwing the skirt back at her, Eldarion stood up and walked over to the window, giving his sister enough time to get ready for the journey.  
  
After a few minutes Alia's bags were full and they went downstairs into the hall were their father was already waiting for them. They said goodbye to their mother and sisters, than followed Aragorn to the horses. 


	3. Chapter 3

Cerridwen: Thank you so much! Glad that you enjoy it quite a bit!  
  
Thanks to Kat for reading this fic and correct the mistakes!!!!!  
  
**  
  
The royal family arrived in Ithilien when the night had already fallen over the lands of middle earth. Faramir welcomed them and led them into the hall of his little castle. Food and wine was given to Aragorn and his children, before Faramir informed them about what had happened.  
  
"A week ago some children found the dead body of a ranger in the forest. All of his skin was peeled off and a knife had been slammed into his heart. Three days later another body was found, from a ranger as well. His skin was peeled off too but he had died because of the loss of blood. No other wound could be found on his body. After my son found the third dead ranger near the castle we thought that it would be better to inform you. At first we got the impression that the murderer was keen on killing rangers but this afternoon two of my soldier brought a dead woman to me. She's upstairs so you can get a better sweep over what has been done to this poor humans. Please follow me," said the man and stood up from his chair but was stopped by his woman.  
  
"Faramir! They really should eat at first and look at her tomorrow. Her body looks... disgusting! You better not look at her if you want to sleep afterwards," explained Éowyn and folded her hands in her lap.  
  
Alia wiped one lose strand of her hair aside and lay down her fork. "Please Faramir, shown me the woman's body. I won't sleep tonight, it doesn't matter from what reason!!"  
  
Her father sighed and stood up from his chair as well opposite to Eldarion who shook his head and told the others that he'd better not look at the woman or he'd get sick. Aragorn nodded and the rest of them, include Éowyn, followed Faramir upstairs.  
  
Two guards stood in front of the door and stepped aside when they approached. Éowyn opened the door and let them inside.  
  
Alia sighed when she arrived at the bed where the woman lay. Éowyn had been right, she really looked disgusting.  
  
"Poor girl," mumbled Aragorn and placed one hand on his daughter's shoulder. He felt very sorry for the young woman lying there in front of them.  
  
The king's daughter kneeled down beside the bed and touched the skinless flesh of the woman's right arm. "She'd suffered so much pain," she whispered. "I was right, a wizard has done this to her. No one could peel off skin without using a knife or something else sharp. There's no single scratch or cut to see. I also can feel the presence of dark magic..."  
  
The young woman stood up when suddenly images started to race in her mind. A woman lying on the ground , blood pouring out of her mouth. A stranger in a black coat lifting his arms. A strange yellow light.  
  
She could hear the woman's screams echoing in her ears and her nose was filled with the smell of blood and burned skin. Alia stumbled backwards and fell to the ground before her father could catch her.  
  
Totally messed up she pressed her hands against her ears in hope the screams would end up but now she could hear evil laughter as well. The voice of a man said something but she couldn't understand what.  
  
Aragorn shook her hardly to wake her up from the trance but Alia didn't seem to notice. She still pressed her hands against her ears and whispered some words that no one could understand before she collapsed on the floor.  
  
"What happened to her," asked Éowyn in shock and rushed to the young woman's side. "I think, she had a vision of what happened to the woman," said the king and lifted his daughter up from the ground.  
  
"Dad, let me down please, I'm fine," said Alia and opened her eyes. Aragorn carried her out of the room and there he allowed her to jump off his arms. "I don't want you to enter this room again, do you understand? I don' want you to have a vision again- you've seen what happened, haven't you?" Aragorn crossed his arms in front of his chest and waited for an answer.  
  
"Well, yeah... I've seen her lying on the ground with blood pouring out of her mouth. Than there was a strange man in a black coat that covered his face so I couldn't see it and there was a yellow light that gleamed in his hands. I haven't seen more but I heard her screams and his evil laughter... it was horrible... I wished, I'd seen more an a bit more clear but maybe when I just touch her..."  
  
Alia was interrupted by her father who pressed his hand against her mouth and shook his head. "Don't even think about it, you're not gonna see this woman again," said the older man and dragged her downstairs where Eldarion was still waiting.  
  
Faramir and Éowyn followed them.  
  
"Well, I rally should go to bed now. I'm terribly tired! Can you shown me my room please," asked Alia and smiled when Éowyn nodded. They went upstairs again and Aragorn wondered why his daughter was so tired out of the sudden. She hadn't seemed to be tired a few minutes ago. 'But isn't it always like that with woman,' he thought with a sigh and turned back to talk to Eldarion. 


	4. Chapter 4

Alia pressed one ear against the door and listened if Éowyn went downstairs again. When she was sure that the woman had gone, she silently opened the door and sneaked out of the room. She had to see the woman again!  
  
When she noticed that the soldier were still guarding the door, she instinctively sneaked into the room next to the other and looked around.  
  
"Oh my god," she whispered when she realised that she was in Théodred's room and that the young man was sleeping in his bed.  
  
Without making a noise she climbed over his veranda into the window of the woman's room. Alia giggled a bit when she hopped on the floor and landed next to the bed. Théodred would be really pissed off when would know what happened some minutes ago.  
  
"Good, let's see, what you can tell me about your cruel death my dear," whispered Alia and took the young woman's hand and stroked the burned flesh. A tear sprang into her eye and rolled down her cheek.  
  
Than she closed her eyes and waited. Nothing happened but she realised that she had become very tired in the past few minutes. She smiled. Someone wanted to talk to her...  
  
Without opening her eyes she lay down one the floor and fell asleep at the same time.  
  
**  
  
~ Darkness was all she could see at first. Then the dust began to clear and a young woman smiled at her. Her long black hair was curled and danced in the wind while she stood in front of a little house. Alia noticed that the woman looked right through her and she realised that another elderly woman stood behind her.  
  
"Please look after you when you walk around in the forest this night Elea. Bad things have happened in the last few days," said the old woman and stroked Elea's curls. "Oh mother! I'm always careful, you know that! And now go inside, it's getting cold out here. Your cough is getting worse if you stay here too long," said the young woman and turned around.  
  
She didn't even look back when she ran into the forest to a small river. Alia followed her and kept her distance when Elea sat down on the river bank.  
  
Suddenly Alia saw a dark shape one the water. She wanted to scream, tell Elea to run but no single sound escaped from her lips. She just could watch the dark figure coming nearer and nearer. 'His face', she thought. 'I have to get a look at his face!'  
  
Just when he approached behind Elea and Alia was about to see his face everything faded to black and...~~  
  
Alia woke up with a shriek. Furiously she stared at her brother who was still shaking her. "You damn idiot!!! Why did you wake me up ?? I was about to see his face when you woke me up! And now everything was useless because the dead only come to talk once!!" His sister yelled at him and slapped his hands away.  
  
"I'm sorry but I thought that you had fainted again and I wanted to get you out of that trance. Now follow me before ada and the others arrive. They've surely heard you yell," Eldarion said and dragged his sister out of the room.  
  
In front of her door he stopped and kissed her good- night before turning away and disappearing into his own room.  
  
Alia climbed on her bed and stared at the ceiling in anger. She had been this close to all the answers they need.  
  
Before she could think more about it, she fell asleep again but this time she didn't dream... 


	5. Chapter 5

The next day, Alia woke up when the sun had already reached its highest point. She stretched her muscles and jumped out of the bed and got dressed to join her family. All her thoughts were with Elea and what she had seen in her dream last night. They had to find Elea's mother so they could see if there were some parallels between the dead rangers and the young woman.  
  
She ran down the stairs , nearly too fast, and rushed into the big hall where she expected the others to be. The hall was empty and so she decided to look for them outside because it was a wonderful sunny day.  
  
Her brother and Aragorn were inside the stables together with Faramir. They talked about a horse when Alia arrived but stopped talking when they saw her. Aragorn embraced his daughter warmly and said: " We just let you sleep this morning because we had the feeling that you were really tired. Are you feeling fine my dear? Or are you getting ill?"  
  
He put one hand on her forehead but pulled it back when Alia slapped it. "I'm fine ada but we have to ride into the forest. Now! We should look there for some clues about what happened and maybe we'll find a clue who the murderer is."  
  
She gave Eldarion a warning look as if to say: Don't tell them what happened last night, and than took her mare and went outside.  
  
Her father and Faramir followed her a bit puzzled while Eldarion brought their horses.  
  
"Alia dear, may I ask why you are that exited about riding into the forest out of a sudden? Is there anything I should know?" Aragorn gave her a worried look.  
  
The young woman sighed and shook her head. "No ada, I just want to make everything a bit clearer. I want to find the one who did this to E... the young woman and the rangers! Can we leave now?"  
  
She climbed on the back of her horse and kicked her feet into the mare's stomach. As fast as she could she galloped in the direction of the forest and didn't even look back to see if the others were behind her.  
  
In front of the woods she stopped and tied the horse on a tree. She realized that the others were far behind her and that she had to wait for them. Alia was very nervous about what they would find in the forest.  
  
When her father, brother and Faramir arrived, she stormed into the forest, exactly knowing where she had to go. In front of a very tiny house all of them stopped and she analysed the surroundings.  
  
Alia slowly opened the door and automatically stepped back again when a bad smell hit her face and filled her nose.  
  
Aragorn was immediately by her side and catched her when she stumbled backwards and nearly fell over a branch. He also smelled that there was something in the house and he wanted to pull his daughter as far as possible from this place but Alia had already freed herself out of his grip.  
  
She took a deep breath and entered the house. She found Elea's mother lying on the ground covered in her own blood that had poured out of a deep cut in her throat but noticed that it had stopped bleeding some time ago. The blood the old woman was lying in was already dry and Alia realized that her body was rotting.  
  
"Some one wanted to make sure that no one will misses Elea. The murderer killed her mother as well but he did not have enough time to kill her as cruelly as he killed the others. But he let her bleed...," said the young woman and turned around to face her father.  
  
Aragorn gave her another worried look and covered his nose with his hand. He looked around. The house was dark, only small windows let in some sunshine. The house was not very big- only one big room existed with a table and two beds in it. No kitchen, nothing to have a bath in or wash the dishes. As he could see, not even a cupboard was there so he wondered if the people who had lived here had eaten from leaves.  
  
"Who's Elea," he than asked. "You mentioned her name. Is she the young woman?" Alia nodded.  
  
"Yes, she was the young woman. I think, her mother is dead since Monday, that means 5 days. Dead bodies normally don't rot that fast but it had been very hot the last couple of days . I also think that the rangers and Elea were murdered days or maybe weeks ago. The burned and peeled skin doesn't rot fast so it's nearly impossible to tell when exactly they've been killed. But it has to be at last 6 days. She was alive when Elea went into the forest and never came back," the last words were whispered and tears sprang into the young woman's eyes.  
  
She wiped them away so her father didn't see them and became troubled again. She then left the house because she couldn't stand the smell of old blood and rotten flesh anymore.  
  
Aragorn wanted to ask, why she knew all those things but he kept his mouth shut. He didn't want Alia to get upset again and he didn't want her to think that he was overprotective. Even he was her father...  
  
"We have to go to the river were Elea was killed. Maybe we'll find something there," said Alia and started to walk. When they already heard the water, she stopped because she had the feeling that someone was watching them. 


	6. Chapter 6

Sorry that the new chapter took so long but I was in England for some weeks and I couldn't write there!! Hope you enjoy it anyway.  
  
Alia turned around. She tried to make out a shape or figure between the bushes and trees but there was nothing. Still she could feel a burning gaze in her back but this time, it was her father's.  
  
"Alia dear, did you hear something? Is there something out in the forest," he asked and went a step into her direction.  
  
"I had the feeling that someone is watching us but it was just my imagination," she answered and smiled, even she was still convinced that it wasn't all her imagination.  
  
Than she kneeled down beside the river bank and touched the grass with her fingertips. She tried her best to find a clue of what had happened but nature couldn't tell her.  
  
"There's no blood or skin in the grass where she has been murdered. There's no clue of what happened. It's impossible to tell who murdered the Rangers and Elea. We have to find out about his or her strategy and than built up a trap or something to catch the murderer. I have no other idea,"  
  
Alia stood up from the ground and ran her fingers through her hair. "Maybe we should ride back to Ithilien," said Faramir and the others nodded.  
  
They walked back, this time right through the forest, instead of using the pass. When they reached their horses, a cold wind touched Alia's skin and she froze for one moment. A strange coldness touched her heart and the inside of her body but just when she was about to panic, the feeling was gone and she could sense the warmth of the sun.  
  
With on last look back to the wood she climbed on the back of Nelladell and pressed her feet into the stomach of the mare.  
  
Back in Ithilien Éowyn already waited for them. Théodred gave Alia an angry look as she entered the big hall as if to say: I know that you were in my room last night! The young woman bit her lips and followed her brother to the long table where they had dinner.  
  
During the meal, no one talked and Alia soon had the same feeling she once had when she was at a funeral years ago. It was the same happy and swinging mood.  
  
"I think the murderer waits for people in the forest who won't be missed by anyone and who often walk through the wood. But they aren't just the murderer's victims, they are his training objects. He plans something else," said Alia and tried to break the silence but her father shook his head.  
  
"Please Alia. We have enough time to talk about it after dinner but during this meal I don't want you to talk about the crimes that happened here in the last few weeks!"  
  
The king's daughter lowered her head but not deep enough to oversee Théodred's evil smile. With one precise kick her shoe hit his leg and the young man jumped off his chair in shock, causing his mother to fall off her chair as well because his foot was twisted in her long skirt.  
  
While Faramir and Aragorn helped them up, Alia and Eldarion broke out in laughter. Eldarion squeezed his sister's hand and giggled when she asked in acted wonder: "Théodred, what happened? You jumped as if a spider has bidden you. Did you hurt yourself?"  
  
Faramir's son gave her a destroying look and left the room without any word. Éowyn sat down on her chair again, her hair a bit wild and a puzzled look on her face.  
  
"Excuse him, I don't know what's the matter with my son. He acted a bit strange in the past few weeks. Maybe he suffers from the crimes that happened in Ithilien," said Éowyn. The woman emptied her glass of wine and stood up as well. She excused herself and left the room.  
  
"Well, can we now talk about the murderer," asked Alia and at her father who shook his head.  
  
"Alia, please follow me into my room," he than answered and lay his serviette aside. "Excuse us please, Faramir. I have to discuss something with my daughter, I'll come back as fast as we both had a conversation."  
  
His daughter raised an eyebrow and followed her father upstairs into his room. There, she sat down on his bed and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Why do you drag me upstairs like that, ada? Did I something wrong?"  
  
Aragorn turned around and looked her angrily. "Alia- do you remember what I told you before we left Minas Tirith? I thought I had made it clear that you stop fighting with Théodred while we are here because we have other problems at the moment!!! I want you to ride back home in the moment. And don't start to argue with me, there's nothing to discuss! You do what I've told you, do you understand??"  
  
The young woman looked at her father in disbelieve. "Ada, you can't do that! I am the one who has visions and I am the only one who can defeat a wizard in case I'm right and it is a wizard who did this and..." complained Alia but was interrupted by her father who pressed his hand upon her mouth.  
  
"Don't give me advices about impossible missions, Alia! In case you haven't noticed yet- I am an adult and I know exactly what to do even without yourself. And please stop thinking that because of your powers you are the most important person alive who can defeat any enemy and no one else but her! Now go into your room and pack your stuff. Good night," said Aragorn and forced his daughter to stand up from the bed.  
  
He pushed her outside and closed his door behind her. For some seconds the young woman stood the moving less and than she ran to her brothers room which she entered without knocking on the door.  
  
Eldarion lay on his bed, a book in his hands when his sister rushed in. "Alia, what..." was all he could say before his sister started to talk like a waterfall: "Ada wants me to go home tomorrow because I played this trick on Théodred. And he said that I should stop thinking that I am the most important person alive. He was so mean! He can't send me back home, can he?"  
  
Her fury gaze let her brother smile. "Calm down sis, it's half as bad as you think right now. Well, maybe he'll send you back home but soon he'll realize that he needs you to bring a bit more clearness in this case. Hey- naneth will be happy if she sees you and if you can help her for a few days with the kids, remember, she's pregnant. And forgive him that he was mean to you, it was a hard week for all of us, even for the glory king Aragorn. Alia, please, don't be that sad, come to me my love," answered Eldarion and pulled his sister next to him on the bed.  
  
Alia dug her head in Eldarion's arms and sighed. Life wasn't easy these days! 


End file.
